This invention relates to novel semiconducting glasses and the method for their preparation.
Semiconducting elements have been found to have many and varied uses in a wide variety of arts. Included among these uses are the formation of resistive elements for electronic circuits, voltage stabilizers for use at high voltages, sensors for temperature measurement by means of electrical conductivity, and leakage resistors for electron microscopes.
For the use as leakage resistors, the resistivity of the glass should be in the range of about 2 .times. 10.sup.7 to about 6 .times. 10.sup.8 ohm.sup.. cm. In addition, the glasses should be chemically and physically stable and should be melted easily in reasonably large batches in standard laboratory equipment.
Prior art semiconductive glasses having similar electrical properties have been found to be unstable chemically. In particular, these prior art glasses are subject to devitrification. Conversely, other glasses which are sufficiently stable chemically fail to achieve the required electrical properties.